THE INDIRA GANDHI NATIONAL OPEN …

1 THE INDIRA GANDHI NATIONAL open university ACT, 1985 ( OF 1985) [2nd September, 1985] An Act to establish and incorporate an open university at the NATIONAL level for the introduction and promotion of open university and distance education systems in the educational pattern of the country and for the co-ordination and determination of standards in such systems. Be it enacted by Parliament in the Thirty-sixth Year of the Republic of India as follows: 1. (1) This Act may be called the INDIRA GANDHI NATIONAL open university Act, 1985.

2 (2) It shall come into force on such date as the Central Government may be notification in the Official Gazette.* appoint. 2. In this Act, and the Statutes made hereunder, unless the context otherwise requires. (a) Academic Council means the Academic Council of the university ; (b) Board of Management means the Board of Management of the university ; (c) Board of Management means the Board of Recognition of the university ; (d) College means a College or other academic institution established or maintained by, or admitted to the privileges of the university .

3 (e) Distance education systems means the system of imparting education through any means of communication, such as broadcasting, telecasting, correspondence course, seminars, contact programmes or the combination of any two or more of such means; (f) Employee means any person appointed by the university , and includes teachers and other academic staff of the university ; (g) Finance Committee means the Finance Committee of the university ; (h) Governing Body , in relation to a College, means any body (by whatever name called-charged with the management of the affairs of the College and recognized as such by the university ; (i) Planning Board means the Planning Board of the university .)

4 (j) Regional Centre means a centre established or maintained by the university for the purpose of co-ordinating and supervising the work of Study Centres and recognized and for performing such other functions as may be co0nferred on such centre by the Board of Management; *Vide notification (E) dated Gazette of India: Extraordinary, Part (ii) 2 INDIRA GANDHI NATIONAL open university (k) Regulations means the Regulations made by any authority of the university under this Act for the time being in force; (l) School means a School of Studies of the university (m) Statutes and Ordinances mean, respectively, the Statutes and Ordinances of the university for the time being in force.

5 (n) Student means a student of the university , and includes any person who has enrolled himself for pursuing any course of study of the university ; (o) Study Centre means a centre established, maintained or recognized by the university for the purpose of advising, counseling or for rendering any other assistance required by the students; (p) Teachers means Professors, Readers, Lecturers and such other persons as may be designated at such by the Ordinance for imparting instruction in the university or for giving guidance or rendering assistance to students for pursuing any course of study of the university ; (q) university means the INDIRA GANDHI NATIONAL open university established under this Act.

6 (r) Vice-Chancellor and Pro-Vice-Chancellor mean, respectively, the Vice-Chancellor and a Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the university ; 3. (1) There shall be established a university by the name of the INDIRA GANDHI NATIONAL open university ; (2) The headquarters of the university shall be at Delhi and it may establish or maintain Colleges, Regional Centres and Study Centres at such other places in India as it may deem fit. Provided that the university may, with the prior approval of the Visitor, also establish Study Centres outside India.

7 (3) The first Vice-Chancellor, the first Pro-Vice-Chancellors and the first members of the Board of Management, the Academic Council and the Planning Board and all persons who may hereafter become such officers or members, so long as they continue to hold such office or membership, are hereby constituted a body corporate by the name of the INDIRA GANDHI NATIONAL open university . (4) The university shall have perpetual succession and a common seal and shall sue and be sued by the said name. 4. The objects of the university shall be to advance and disseminate learning and knowledge by a diversity of means, including the use of any communication technology, to provide opportunities for higher education to a larger segment of the population and to promote the educational well being of the community generally.

8 To encourage the open university and distance education systems in the educational pattern of the country and to coordinate and determine the standards in such systems, and the university shall, in organizing its activities, have due regard to the objects specified in the first Schedule. 5. (1) The university shall have the following powers, namely: (i) to provide for instruction in such branches of knowledge, technology, Provisio to Sub-Section(2) of Section 3 of the INDIRA GANDHI NATIONAL open university Act, 1985, enacted by the Parliament in August, 1997.

9 The amended Act shall come into force from 16th December, 1997. INDIRA GANDHI NATIONAL open university 3 Vocations and professions as the university may determine from time to time and to make provision for research; (ii) to plan and prescribe courses of study for degrees, diplomas, certificates or for any other purpose; (iii) to hold examinations and confer degrees, diplomas, certificates or other academic distinctions or recognitions on persons who have pursued a course of study or conducted research in the manner laid down by the Statutes and Ordinances; (iv) to confer honorary degrees or other distinctions in the manner laid down by the Statutes; (v) to determine the manner in which distance education in relation to the academic programmes of the university may be organized.

10 (vi) to institute professorships, readerships, lectureships and other academic positions necessary for imparting instruction or for preparing educational material or for conducting other academic activities, including guidance, designing and delivery of course and evaluation of the work done by the students, and to appoint persons to such professorships, readerships, lectureship and other academic positions; (vii) to co-operate with, and seek the co-operation of, other universities and institutions of higher learning, professional bodies and organizations for such purposes as the university considers necessary; (viii) to institute and award fellowships, scholarships, prizes and such other awards for recognition of merit as the university may deem fit; (ix) to establish and maintain such Regional Centres as may be determined by the university from time to time.